Yesterday, Google officially released version 100 of its Chrome browser, and today it’s following suit by releasing version 100 of Chrome OS. While there weren’t a lot of big features for Chrome 100 besides a new icon, the update for Chrome OS brings a handful of changes worth noting. Probably the most significant is a redesigned app launcher experience. When you press the “everything” button (where caps lock is on most keyboards) or click the circle icon on the lower left side of the screen, the new launcher pulls up in a window on the left side of your display rather than covering all your open windows. Longtime Chrome OS users might remember that this was how the launcher behaved years ago.
Besides that visual change, Google has made it easier to organize the apps you have installed. You can choose to sort them alphabetically or by color, and new apps you add will stick to that organization scheme. From a functional perspective, Google has also improved search results that come up when you type in the launcher, automatically pulling up information for your query without having to open more details in a browser window. The search field also can look through all your open tabs if you’re trying to find a specific site you had open.
The next new feature is purely for fun — the camera app can now create GIFs. When you pop open the camera, you can choose to record a five-second video that’ll automatically be turned into a GIF. Once that’s done, you can share it to pretty much any app on your Chromebook or send it to an Android phone using the nearby share feature.
Google also improved the dictation feature on Chromebooks. Previously, you could dictate text into any text field on your device, but today Google is adding some editing features. Chrome OS now recognizes commands like “delete” to remove the last letter or “move to the next character” to adjust where your cursor is. Asking for “help” will also pull up a list of commands that you can use if you’re not sure how to accomplish a specific task with your voice.
As is usually the case with most Chrome OS updates, these aren’t exactly earth-shattering updates. But as Google now updates Chrome OS and the Chrome browser every four weeks, they’re not all going to bring big features. But there are still a few quality of life improvements worth checking out once the update hits your device — I’ve always found managing the apps in my launcher a bit cumbersome, so I’m hoping today’s update makes things a bit better.
Traeger is one of the biggest names in backyard grilling. The company’s line of pellet grills offers WiFi connectivity and other handy features across the board starting at $900. After churning out new smart models in both 2018 and 2019, the company hasn’t debuted a new grill in about three years. Instead, it focused on redesigning its app to include recipe guidance and video tips along with an Apple Watch version and recently introduced Traeger Provisions meal (read: feast) kit service. For grilling season 2022, though, Traeger has completely redesigned its premium model, the Timberline.
And a lot of those upgrades relate to the tech. First, Traeger touts “an entirely new level of performance” thanks to a new smart combustion system. With added sensors, the grill monitors the cooking area to prevent pesky flare-ups for consistent results. The company has also swapped out the old black and white display for a full-color touchscreen unit. Not only does it offer a more modern look, but the screen can show a guided setup in addition to monitoring time and temperature. What’s more, Traeger has built in a maintenance check where the grill can self-diagnose issues and guide you to customer service or replacement parts via a unique QR code.
You won’t have to worry about the Timberline pulling cooking power for that display either. Traeger says dual controllers handle the cooking and the screen separately, and the display has its own dedicated graphics processor. The new controller automatically detects Meater’s wireless food probes and the new Timberline comes with two of those accessories (you can use up to four at a time). In case you missed it, Traeger acquired Meater last summer, so this integration was inevitable. The only caveat is you have to use the probes designed for the new Timberline grills. Previous versions from Meater aren’t the same so they won’t work here. If you prefer wired probes, you can still use those on these new models.
Traeger Grills
To help with sauces, frying, searing and other tasks, the new Timberline grills have a side burner. Sure, a lot of grills have that extra burner, but they’re not common on pellet models. More specifically, Traeger says this Timberline features the first outdoor-rated induction burner for both precision and power. It should especially be handy for fans of the reverse sear as it will heat up much faster than trying to get the entire grill up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit or higher after a quick smoke.
Plenty of grills offer lighting to help you see at night, with Weber being one of the biggest names to do so. Until now, Traeger hadn’t included built-in illumination, but the new Timberline has it. The company’s vice president of product Michael Colston explained that Traeger spent a lot of time researching where the best location for the lights should be so that smoke doesn’t interfere with visibility. Instead of putting lights inside the smoke chamber, it positioned them on the outside, so it can be activated by a lid sensor and it won’t get smoked up while lighting the entire cooking surface.
“We’ve thought about where that light needs to be placed,” he told Engadget. “It also signals to the controller that the door is open and barely keeps the smoke going.” So when the lid is up, the grill is no longer working to produce the same level of smoke as when it’s closed. It’s also not trying to recover from the drop in ambient temperature before you’re ready for it to do so.
Traeger Grills
Inside, a new grease and ash collection system sends all of the waste out of the bottom instead of rolling grease to a small pan on the side. Colston described the Timberline as “nearly self-cleaning” since a new FreeFlow firepot ejects the ash over to what Traeger calls the EZ-Clean Grease & Ash Keg. New plates channel grease to the same receptacle where gravity carries over wood pellet ash and debris. Besides putting all the waste in one spot, this new setup also means you won’t have to break out the shop vac as frequently to clean up. Colston explained he’s been using a new Timberline for months and probably could’ve gone longer without vacuuming out the inside. If the description is accurate, this will alleviate a key headache with pellet grills.
Instead of a four-post support for the new Timberline, Traeger opted for a cart stand like you typically see with gas grills. This offers more storage via a cabinet and small shelves below the pellet hopper. The company also designed what it calls the Pop-And-Lock (P.A.L.) rail system for accessories — things like an adjustable roll holder (paper towels, foil or butcher paper), tool hooks and a basket for rubs/sauces. The rails wrap around the front and sides of the grill, but not the back, so you have some room to move things as needed. Traeger relocated the pellet hopper cleanout chute to right below the hopper, so it’s accessible from the front. The cart was designed so you can easily slide in a storage container and empty pellets between cooks. So not only are you able to keep your fuel fresh, but you might also be more likely to use different types of wood instead of sticking to your go-to variety (read: buy more pellets).
The new Timberline should also offer more consistent performance in chilly weather thanks to full stainless steel insulation and a multi-level heat delivery system that wraps the cooking area in radiant warmth. Traeger says all of this creates hotter temperatures at the grates for better searing and improved overall heat regulation.
Traeger designed the new Timberline so it can be installed in an outdoor kitchen’s countertop setup. A trim kit can be purchased for a finished look and you can install the induction side burner off to the side of the grill as well. Lots of Traeger users have built outdoor setups with counters and bigger carts by removing the legs that come with the grills, so the company is catering to those folks by designing its latest model so that this process is relatively easy.
Traeger Grills
Even if you don’t want a full kitchen on your patio, the company has more accessories to add other culinary capabilities to the Timberline. With ModiFire products, you can purchase a stainless steel fish/veggie tray or a griddle for the induction cook top. The company says a two-sided griddle for use inside the grill is coming this fall alongside pizza stone and cover system that has its own sensors and cooking algorithm.
Despite all of the new stuff, some old favorites are still here. The Timberline is still powered by Traeger’s D2 platform and WiFire wireless connectivity. The company’s app still provides step-by-step guidance, video tutorials and a wealth of recipes, in addition to giving you control over every grill setting except for pressing the ignite button to get things going. And yes, you can use it to control that new side burner with the app too. The company has swapped out the WiFi antenna for a 360-degree component is says is more powerful that what was on previous models. Super Smoke mode is also back for low-and-slow cooking, but Traeger says it’s capable of even more flavor with that new firepot that can churn out more smoke.
The new Timberline and the larger Timberline XL will sit at the pinnacle of Traeger’s product lineup. Both models will be available this spring for $3,499 and $3,799, respectively. For comparison, the previous-gen Timberline 850 and 1300 are $2,100 and $2,300, so you’ll have to pay quite the premium for all of the upgrades the company has added to it’s high-end models.
It was silly of us to think the ending of The Stanley Parable was actually the end of the game. Ridiculous, even. Catastrophic, possibly.
Nearly 10 years after the award-winning indie game’s debut, original creators Davey Wreden and William Pugh are back with an upgraded, expanded and even stranger version called The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe. It’s been in development for more than three years, and it’s finally due to hit Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles on April 27th.
The Ultra Deluxe edition includes expanded storylines, plus new content, secrets and choices. The release date trailer teases employee number 427’s revamped office space and the reality-bending physics at work in the new game. It looks familiar with flashes of the unknown; basic graphics with quietly trippy mechanics. And over the top of it all, a soothing voice narrating your every move.
Crows Crows Crows
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is a collaboration between Pugh’s studio, Crows Crows Crows, and Wreden, while narrator Kevan Brighting is back as well. The script for the new content is longer than the original game script, and the developers said they tried to implement the fresh mechanics in unexpected ways — which is entirely expected for The Stanley Parable.
“Early in development, the plan was just to bring The Stanley Parable to consoles with a few small tweaks, but as time went on we kept getting more and more excited about what else we could do with the game,” the developers said in a press release. “We learned what we wanted it to be as we were making it.”
Crows Crows Crows
It almost sounds like the new game built itself — but that’d be impossible, right?
You’ve probably heard about Tesla Arcade, but what about Steam support? It looks like Valve’s platform will launch in these EVs, at least if Musk has his way.
While Face ID is perfectly fine and with the changes and improvements Apple have made to it over the years, it’s a great way of protecting your phone, but it’s hard to deny the convenience of using your fingerprint to unlock your smartphone. Unfortunately, it seems that Touch ID may never come back to Apple’s flagship iPhones.
According to a recent tweet by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, he claims that his previous prediction of an in-display Touch ID coming to the 2023 iPhone may no longer be accurate. He now says that the feature might even skip the 2024 iPhone, and given how we keep hearing about how the feature has been pushed back, at this point we should really stop hoping for it.
I previously predicted iPhones would support under-display fingerprint sensing/Touch ID in 2023 at the earliest. But the latest survey indicates new iPhones in 2023 & 2024 may not adopt under-display Touch ID. Face ID with a mask on iPhone is already a great biometrics solution.
Kuo suggests that maybe Apple including mask support for Face ID in the latest iOS 15 update could be the reason why the feature is being pushed back. One of the reasons fingerprints are more convenient is that you don’t have to look at the phone to unlock it, and with many people still wearing masks these days, it would allow users an alternative way to unlock their iPhones.
In any case, Apple still does use its Touch ID feature in other products like its Macs and some lower-end iPads, but we wouldn’t be surprised if eventually the company shifted over fully to Face ID.
Apple has always boasted about how the privacy of their customers and users are a top priority and they try to protect it as much as possible. However, sometimes it’s not always possible due to law enforcement agencies submitting court ordered requests for data on certain users, in which companies usually have no choice but to oblige.
However, according to a report from Bloomberg, it seems that Apple and Meta were reported to have handed over personal user data to hackers who were posing as law enforcement agents.
Some of you might be wondering how that works? Basically, it seems that usual requests for user data require a search warrant or a subpoena signed by a judge. However, there are certain “emergency requests” that do not require a court order, and this is what the hackers used.
According to an Apple representative, they told the publication, “The guidelines referenced by Apple say that a supervisor for the government or law enforcement agent who submitted the request ‘may be contacted and asked to confirm to Apple that the emergency request was legitimate’.”
However, while it might seem like a careless oversight, Allison Nixon, chief research officer at the cyber firm Unit 221B has defended both Apple and Facebook’s handling of the situation.
According to Nixon, “In every instance where these companies messed up, at the core of it there was a person trying to do the right thing. I can’t tell you how many times trust and safety teams have quietly saved lives because employees had the legal flexibility to rapidly respond to a tragic situation unfolding for a user.”
When Blizzard announced Diablo 4 in 2019, not much was known about the game apart from a few concept art, and a couple of teaser trailers here and there. Now in the latest quarterly update to the game, the company has revealed additional details that we might be able to look forward to in terms of content.
According to Blizzard, it seems that Diablo 4 will be coming with five different regions in the game, and there will be more than 150 dungeons that players can explore, fight monsters, and get loot in. Each dungeon is expected to boast its own dynamic weather, lighting effects, and props to make the experience feel unique and different.
The game’s art director Chris Ryder said, “We approach creating the environments of Diablo IV through a darker and more grounded interpretation than earlier installments. The “old masters” pillar gives us a lens to filter our art through, considering the techniques classical painters like Rembrandt used, with their controlled use of detail, tonal range, and expert use of color palettes. The “return to darkness” pillar is a through-line in everything from dungeons to lighting and embodies the idea that Sanctuary is a dangerous and dark medieval gothic world.”
At the moment, Diablo 4 still does not have a set release date, and knowing Blizzard, it could be a while before it is released. In the meantime, pre-orders for Diablo Immortal on iOS are now live suggesting that it could be launching soon, so players will have that to entertain themselves with ahead of Diablo 4’s release.
A former DeepMind employee has accused the company of mishandling a series of serious sexual harassment allegations. In a report published Wednesday, TheFinancial Timesrecounts the experience of a former female staff member who alleges she was sexually assaulted twice by a senior researcher at the Google subsidiary. She says her harasser also sent her multiple traumatic documents, including one where he made allusions to raping unconscious women.
DeepMind eventually dismissed the researcher, but not before it subjected his victim to a disciplinary process she argues showed major flaws in how the company handles such incidents. All told, it reportedly took DeepMind seven months to address the complaint, and only did so after the former employee filed an appeal. It then allegedly took another two months before the company finally dismissed her harasser in September 2020.
During that period, the former employee was told she would face “disciplinary” action if she talked about her complaint with colleagues. She was advised not to visit the office where her harasser worked, but her manager, not knowing the full scope of the complaint, repeatedly pushed her to attend meetings at that same building. According to The Times, DeepMind did not place any restrictions on the alleged perpetrator, a claim the company disputes.
A spokesperson for DeepMind said the firm told the researcher not to contact the staff member in September 2019. The company also disputes a claim the researcher received an individual award for their work during the time they were being investigated by the company. DeepMind says the award was given for a historic team paper of which he was one member.
“According to your own findings, I was subjected to sexual harassment, assault and abuse… I will never be the same person. I have spent almost the entire last year fearing for my safety. There is absolutely… no reason why the investigation was so dysfunctional,” the former employee said in an August 2020 email to DeepMind’s senior leadership.
“Any incident of sexual assault or harassment is abhorrent. DeepMind takes all allegations of workplace misconduct extremely seriously and we place our employees’ safety at the core of any actions we take,” DeepMind told Engadget. “The allegations were investigated thoroughly, and the individual who was investigated for misconduct was dismissed without any severance payments.”
Following the incident, DeepMind told Engadgetit implemented a series of policies to change how it investigates such matters. Among other changes, the company says it now communicates more clearly how employees should go about raising concerns, and that it has a better system in place to support workers who complain of harassment and discrimination. It also told The Times it “regrets” the former staff member was provided with “incorrect guidance around breaking confidentiality.”
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
While Face ID is perfectly fine and with the changes and improvements Apple have made to it over the years, it’s a great way of protecting your phone, but it’s hard to deny the convenience of using your fingerprint to unlock your smartphone. Unfortunately, it seems that Touch ID may never come back to Apple’s flagship iPhones.
Apple has always boasted about how the privacy of their customers and users are a top priority and they try to protect it as much as possible. However, sometimes it’s not always possible due to law enforcement agencies submitting court ordered requests for data on certain users, in which companies usually have no choice but to oblige.
When Blizzard announced Diablo 4 in 2019, not much was known about the game apart from a few concept art, and a couple of teaser trailers here and there. Now in the latest quarterly update to the game, the company has revealed additional details that we might be able to look forward to in terms of content.
